Over 1,800 personnel from Law and Order and Armed Reserve to maintain vigil

The city police have drawn up a special bandobust measures to ensure a crime-free Deepavali shopping.

Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) T. Senthil Kumar have drawn up a scheme mobilising over 1,800 personnel from Law and Order, Crime, Armed Reserve and Home Guards to maintain vigil in and around shopping areas, bus stops and on board the city buses.

The layers of security include surveillance through electronic eye in the form of CCTVs, binocular wielding police personnel atop the specially erected temporary towers and police outposts.

In addition, members of the special team in civil dress would keep watch on ex-convicts, habitual offenders and history sheeters.

The special focus would be on vehicle lifters, bag lifters/snatchers, chain snatchers and those indulging in diversion of attention as a modus operandi to rob the target victims.

To segregate the pedestrians from vehicles, both moving and parked vehicles, barricading was being done on most congested areas such as Oppanakkara Street and Cross Cut Road, said Mr. Senthilkumar.

Mr. Senthilkumar said that while every effort was being taken to prevent occurrence of crime, public co-operation was paramount on such occasions when there was a heavy congregation of people with valuables and hefty cash. Public should avoid openly displaying cash and valuables on their hand and should desist from getting their attention diverted.

Stringent action

Mr. Viswanathan also said that in the name of soliciting customers to their shops, shop assistants should desist from forcing shoppers to visit their shops. In the name of canvassing, there had been instances of shop assistants misbehaving with women.

In the event of such behaviour, stringent action would be taken against them.